FR2545688A1 - Birth and raising box for snails - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a birth and raising box for snails, consisting, on the one hand, of thermoformed elements which can be nested hermetically via a rabbet of three types: base 1, intermediate section 2 with cutouts, and lid 3 with grid 7 at its top part enabling the latter to be extended as its population grows by means of the addition of intermediate elements, these elements, apart from the lid, being provided with a peripheral handling projection 6, and, on the other hand, of plates 5 supporting the feed, of plates 8 of three types which are perforated, respectively, with holes of different diameters which are intended to block the cutout of the intermediate element for the purposes of automatic sorting, and of removable vertical sticking plates 4.

Description

 The present invention relates to a box for hatching and growing snails up to the infant size of three grams or more, if the biomass of one kilogram per square meter of evolution surface is respected.

 One of the black spots at the level of current knowledge in heliciculture concerns the birth and the management of the breeding up to the juvenile size of the snails.

 If during their birth hundreds of snails can gather and live on a surface of a few square decimeters which is useful or even essential to the satisfaction of their gymnotropism, their growth being and their manipulation very random which have to their survival, ideal consists of the extensibility of their habitat as they grow. In addition to maintain good hygiene therefore maximum cleanliness accessibility must be very easy.

 In addition, breeding in early age requires that the collected animals have a size very close to each other, or sorting the snails manually is long, tedious and generates accidents for them.

The breeding boot according to the invention which has solved these problems of concentration, extensibility, and automatic controlled sorting is characterized in that it comprises
-An element in dense polystyrene, or in any other thermoformed material and whose destination is to constitute the bottom or part resting on the support of this boot.

 -An element in dense polystyrene, or in any other thermoformed material and whose destination is to constitute the cover or top of the boot, this element is equipped at its upper part with a grid whose function is; to light the interior, to ventilate it, to visualize it while avoiding escapes.

 -An element in dense polystyrene, or in any other thermoformed material whose destination is to constitute the intermediate elements of the boot which can be placed between Ité'-éement bottom and the cover element, thanks to a rabbet assurar, ~ a perfect seal between the elements.

 Ctrt l- S nt is cut in a particular way in order to provide a surface intended to receive the plates supporting the food.

 -Plastic plates intended to receive the food deposited on the aforementioned cuts.

 -Plates of three types, respectively perforated with holes of different diameters, intended to close off the cutting of the intermediate element for the purposes of automatic sorting.

 -Variable number of plastic plates, intended to serve as a bonding surface, easily inserted in the cutout of the intermediate element and placed vertically.

-A peripheral projection to each element except the cover for handling purposes
The use of the various components of this boot is progressive.

Firstly, the bottom element and the cover element are used, which fit perfectly. In the bottom is arranged free soil on a thickness of about four centimeters in which are buried at mid depth the bunches of eggs to hatch. The cover is put in place
A few days after hatching an intermediate element is put in place, which fits perfectly between the two elements already in service.

 On the peripheral part provided for this purpose is spread food. If beforehand all the newborns have been Cà 7 'using a feather or a fine brush) precipitated in the bottom of the tank, when these will go up, which is specific to their natural tendency, they will find on their passage regardless of the route taken, food; hence their rapid growth, the search for their food no longer generating lost time.

 As the population of this boot will grow in weight it will be easy to incorporate again, one or more clemens - without disturbing the population of it.

 At the same time it will be possible to set up the vertical bonding surfaces.

 For cleaning, simply remove the desired element and replace it immediately with a clean one.

 To sort the population of the tank, all you have to do is remove the vertical bonding surfaces, bring all the snails down to the bottom and place the grids from the thinnest at the top to the biggest at the bottom.

Very quickly will be sorted, giving the subjects of more than three grams in the bottom tray, those of three grams in the second from the bottom, those of two grams in the third and those of one gram and less in the tray from the top.

 A simple transfer of the element will allow the snails of the same size to be grouped together without handling them.

 It is possible to continue growing snails in the same box until the adult size, but it will be necessary to respect a normal biomass of one kilogram of snails per square meter of bonding surface.

Claims (7)

 1.- Boot intended for the breeding of snails, characterized in that it consists of hermetically sealable elements of three types; bottom 1, intermediate 2, cover 3, allowing its extensibility as the population grows.  2.- Boot according to claim 1 characterized in that the element 1 is provided with a grid.  3.- Box according to revencation 1 characterized in that it is provided with perforated plates for automatic sorting of snails n08.  4. Box according to claim 1 characterized in that it is equipped with removable vertical bonding surfaces 4.  5.- Boot according to claim 1 characterized in that it is equipped with removable horizontal supply surfaces 5.  6.- Box according to claim 1 characterized in that each one-piece element is produced by thermoforming a plastic sheet in particular of dense polystyrene.  7. Boot according to claim 1, characterized in that each element is provided with a peripheral projection for handling 6.